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As outlined in About This Webpage, CEP began tracking initial state suggestions and requests for flexibility after the Secretary's announcement in early August 2011. The map below contains links to the online sources from which we drew our information about the development in that state prior to October 12, 2011 (and therefore separate from any developments that have occurred under the official ESEA waiver application process). It is important to note that these resources are not an exhaustive list of all requests from states nor is it a comprehensive record of changes to state accountability policies since the enactment of NCLB in 2002. Rather, we began collecting information as of early August 2011 and continued to track these developments as they occurred.

The states colored blue on the map are those that submitted a formal document to the U.S. Department of Education requesting flexibility from specific provisions of NCLB/ESEA prior to October 12, 2011, apart from the formal application process. States colored green are those that have been granted approval from the U.S. Department of Education to make changes to their accountability plans. States colored red are those that formally requested flexibility in certain provisions of NCLB/ESEA prior to October 12th, but received word from the U.S. Department of Education that those requests would not be upheld. States colored purple are those in which a state official expressed interest, prior to October 12th, 2011, in applying for a waiver through the formal process.

As of October 11 there were 6 states that submitted requests for flexibility to ED separate from the formal waiver application process, 4 that were granted approval, 2 that were denied approval and 20 that expressed interest in possibly applying for a waiver prior to October 12, 2011. It is our assumption that this process has now been subsumed by ED's formal ESEA flexibility package and application process.